The State of U.S. History Standards 2011

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Presidents’ Day 2011 is right around the corner, but George Washington would be dismayed by the findings of The State of U.S. History Standards 2011 a new study by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. Historians Sheldon M. Stern and Jeremy A. Stern evaluated state standards for U.S. history in grades K-12. What they found is discouraging: Twenty-eight states—a majority—deserve D or F grades for their academic standards in this key subject. The average grade across all states is a dismal D. Among the few bright spots, South Carolina earns a straight A for its standards and six other jurisdictions—Alabama, California, Indiana, Massachusetts, New York, and the District of Columbia—garner A-minuses.Alabama, California, Indiana, Massachusetts, New York and the District of Columbia – earn A-minuses. And three – Oklahoma, Georgia and Michigan – are in the B range. (The National Assessment's "framework" for U.S. history also fares well.)


State and Grade
South
Carolina
A
Nebraska
C
Connecticut
F
Alabama
A-­‐
New
Jersey
C
Delaware
F
California
A-­‐
Tennessee
C
Idaho
F
District
of
Columbia
A-­‐
Utah
C
Iowa
F
Indiana
A-­‐
Virginia
C
Maine
F
Massachusetts
A-­‐
Arkansas
D
Mississippi
F
NAEP
A-­‐
Illinois
D
Missouri
F
New
York
A-­‐
Kentucky
D
Montana
F
Oklahoma
B+
National
Average
D
New
Hampshire
F
Georgia
B
Nevada
D
North
Carolina
F
Michigan
B
New
Mexico
D
North
Dakota
F
Arizona
C
Ohio
D
Oregon
F
Florida
C
South
Dakota
D
Pennsylvania
F
Hawaii
C
Texas
D
Vermont
F
Kansas
C
Washington
D
Wisconsin
F
Louisiana
C
West
Virginia
D
Wyoming
F
Maryland
C
Alaska
F
Rhode
Island
N/A
Minnesota
C
Colorado
F